Faced with liability from cyber-attacks, companies must take proactive steps to ensure they are prepared to mitigate the impact of a cyber-attack. By Kim Peretti and Jason Wool, Alston & Bird LLP, and Kiersten Todt and Roger Cressey, Liberty Group Ventures, LLC It is often said that a cyber-attack is a matter of “when,” not “if,” for companies ranging from Fortune 500 powerhouses to mom-and-pop establishments. While this statement provides a dose of dark reality, it offers no…

By AARON KATERSKY 
SUSANNA KIM Target Corp. said that PIN data was lifted during its massive data breach, but that it’s “confident that PIN numbers are safe and secure.” “The most important thing for our guests to know is that their debit card accounts have not been compromised due to the encrypted PIN numbers being taken,” Target said in a statement today about the data breach that might have affected as many as 40 million customers between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15. Earlier this week, a…

Kiersten E Todt considers how open events such as the Boston Marathon can be better secured against violence, examining the role of video surveillance, layered security and community and crowd awareness. On 1 October 2005, a bomb detonated fewer than 200 yards from Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where 84,501 spectators were attending a football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas State Wildcats. Some spectators inside the stadium heard an explosion that was also reported up to five…

Security strategy has evolved since 11 September 2001, from a focus on prevention to a wider consideration of resilience. This approach has particular relevance to mega sporting events, where the ability to recover from disruption and complete the event is both important and time-sensitive. Kiersten Todt Coon discusses the value of resilience during major events. On the final day of the Winter Olympics, an explosive device is detonated at a critical power substation for the statewide power…

By SIOBHAN GORMAN and DANNY YADRON Major U.S. banks are pressing for government action to block or squelch what Washington officials say is an intensifying Iranian campaign of cyberattacks against American financial institutions. Financial firms have spent millions of dollars responding to the attacks, according to bank officials, who add that they can’t be expected to fend off attacks from a foreign government. Defense officials have said Iran’s government is behind the assault….